Captured
by summerreader13
Summary: "Really, it was only a matter of time until Cadmus figured out Supergirl's identity as Kara Danvers. Logically, the next step after figuring out her identity would be, of course, launching a direct attack on those that she cares most about. And Alex was the most obvious choice." There is going to be a lot of sister moments and a bounty of Sanvers feels because I can't resist.
1. Chapter 1

Really, it was only a matter of time until Cadmus figured out Supergirl's identity as Kara Danvers. They had never had a great track record with keeping it a secret to those around her (seriously, did anyone _not_ know at this point?), so Lillian Luthor only needed to put together a few clues about which "reporter" may have told her daughter about her secret operations and the secret unraveled. Logically, the next step after figuring out her identity would, of course, be launching a direct attack on those that she cares about. And Alex was the most obvious choice.

 _Thump!_

Another one of the masked men hit the ground (hard) as Alex maneuvered a roundhouse kick to his face. Just because she was the obvious choice didn't mean she was going to go down easy. She knew her chances of escape were slim; there were eight of them and only one of her. Regardless, she pushed past the exhaustion in her muscles to land as many punches and kicks as possible before she felt the sharp stick of a needle entering the side of her neck.

The darkness came quickly.

* * *

"So, what's the case?" Kara entered the command center of the DEO in her Supergirl outfit, taking a seat in front of the screen to prepare for the briefing. J'onn looked up from his file in confusion.

"What do you mean, Supergirl?" J'onn looked to Winn briefly. "Did someone call you in for a case?"

"Well, no." Kara admitted. "But, I was supposed to meet Alex for breakfast this morning and she didn't show up. That could only mean one thing: she's working on a really big case. So, what's going on?" She looked from Winn to J'onn, waiting for an explanation.

J'onn's eyebrows knitted together in concern. He dropped his voice slightly, looking at Kara seriously. "Kara, there is no case. As far as I know, Alex hasn't come into the DEO since she left late last night."

"Are you sure she didn't just sleep in or something? Have you tried calling her?" Winn piped in.

"Winn, this is Alex we're talking about. She doesn't sleep in. I tried to call her, but it went straight to voicemail so I figured she was here."

"This place does get awful reception." Winn muttered, before noticing the serious expressions on both Kara's and J'onn's faces. "You're right, not the time. I'll track her cell phone and see if I can find out where she is, although I have to say that I find this to be a complete breach of privacy. I mean what if she's running errands, or at a doctor's appointment, or _with_ someone, or…. At her apartment." Winn stared at the dot signifying Alex's location. "See, look at that. She's at her apartment! And here we were, worrying over nothing."

Kara frowned. "Something's not right. I can feel it. I'm going to go over there to make sure she's okay." J'onn nodded his agreement.

Kara made the flight in record time, swooping in through Alex's living room window even though she knew her sister hated when she didn't use the door. "Alex?" The apartment appeared to be empty. She took a step forward and felt something crunch under her feet. Crouching down, Kara picked a small piece of glass that she recognized as coming from one of her sister's favorite vases. Just then, she heard a soft buzzing coming from her right. Frowning in confusion, she leaned down even further, finding Alex's iPhone lying just underneath the couch. The screen lit up as an unknown caller attempted to reach Alex. Kara put the phone up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hello, Ms. Danvers." Her face instantly paled as she recognized the voice on the other line.

"Lillian Luthor." There was a venom in her voice that she had never used before.

"Smart girl."

"What have you done to my sister?"

"Nothing yet. Unfortunately for Alex, that _will_ be changing soon. Don't worry, I promise to give her back to you in one piece. Physically, that is." Kara could almost hear the smirk on her face as she spoke and it made her blood boil.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want?"

"To inflict the same pain on you that you've inflicted on others. You've ruined more lives than you realize and it's time you pay for your sins."

"Then take me. My sister has nothing to do with my actions."

"Oh, it's quite the contrary. She is your biggest protector, the one that motivates you to be Supergirl. It's simple really: break her and I break you. Now, you can try to find her, to save her, but I assure you that it is energy wasted. You will find her when I want you to find her, in whatever state I wish her to be. I have all the power now, Supergirl, and there's nothing you can do to change that."

"Please. You don't have to do this." Kara begged, tears filling her eyes at the prospect of Alex being hurt.

Lillian Luthor laughed coldly. "Begging won't get you anywhere. Now, I have important business to tend to. We'll be seeing each other soon enough."

Kara sat dumbfounded as the line went dead. She knew she needed to move, to _do_ something, but it was as if she was paralyzed by the dread overcoming her body. It took her a couple minutes to register that there were voices coming over the com in her ear.

"Supergirl, can you hear me? I repeat, have you found anything at Agent Danver's apartment?" J'onn's voice was hard, the worry evident in its sharpness. "Supergirl!"

"Yes, I'm here." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Alex isn't here."

"Okay, is there anything there that might give us any clues?"

"She's been taken, J'onn. Cadmus has Alex."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for all the positive responses guys! I'm glad you're liking it. I usually plan out my stories much more, but this one is kind of writing itself so it's taking a little longer for me to work out. I'll try to keep the updates steady, though. Just as a reference, this takes place after 2x08 (because oh my goodness that kiss), but we're gonna pretend that Kara didn't go to an alternate universe. Keep reviewing; all types of constructive criticism and ideas for the story are welcome. Thanks a bunch for reading!**

* * *

Alex woke with a start, her chest heaving. Her eyes blinked wildly as she tried to make sense of her surroundings, but she could see only darkness. Alex immediately pulled at her hands and feet, wincing when she felt the cold, metal handcuffs dig into her skin. She ignored the bubble of panic that was quickly rising to her throat and instead closed her eyes calmly, allowing her other senses to take over.

 _Drip_. Wherever she was, it was cool and drafty, a shiver running down her bare arms. A musty smell hung in the air, combined with a strong scent of something metallic. She hadn't been wearing shoes when she was taken, and she could feel the concrete ground beneath her. She shifted slightly, feeling the chair she was bound to. Her spirit diminished slightly when she realized it was made out of metal; that made it much more difficult to escape from. She opened her eyes with the hope of making out something, groaning in frustration when she could not.

Without warning, there was a loud bang accompanied by bright lights flooding into the room. Her eyes involuntarily shut as they painfully adjusted to the sudden change. When they finally opened, Alex could see three figures in front of her: two of the muscled men that had abducted her and one very smug Lillian Luthor. She fixed Lillian with her most threatening glare. "Where am I?" She growled.

Lillian merely laughed at her acerbity. "That's not of importance, dear Alex. What you should be asking is why are you here." Alex merely glared at her venomously. "Very well, I'll answer your question. You are at Cadmus Laboratories. Well, this is one of our more… covert locations."

"What am I doing here? What do you want?" Alex played along, though she had already deduced Lillian's intentions.

"Don't belittle your own intelligence, Alex. You and I both know why you are here and what I want. I want to hurt your sister, to inflict so much pain that Kara, the amazing Supergirl, is begging for mercy. And then I will keep doing that to every alien on this Earth. Everyone is so distracted by the heroic acts that no one sees the ruin that is left behind. I am going to save this planet and you are going to help me."

"You're crazy if you think I'll help you do anything." Alex spat, her eyes filling with rage and passion. "Supergirl will come and she will defeat you."

"Your loyalty is admirable, though misguided." She took a few steps closer to Alex, bending down so that their faces were a few inches apart. "It may take some time, but you will help us, Alex. First, we will break you. We will strip you of everything that defines you, until you are just a blank slate ready to be rewritten. And then you will become the greatest weapon against aliens that this world has ever seen." She smiled evilly, her eyes connecting with Alex's before standing straight. She calmly walked over to the door, turning to the men before exiting.

"You may begin."

* * *

Kara sighed and rubbed her eyes, slumping back in the chair she was sitting in. "I think I'm going to go on rounds again. Maybe I'll see or hear something that can give us some leads."

"Kara, you've already spent hours just flying around the city. You aren't going to find Alex by wearing yourself out." J'onn said gently, laying a sympathetic hand on her shoulders.

"What else can I do?! She's been missing for at least 16 hours now, J'onn. God knows what they're doing to her. I need to _do_ something. I need to find my sister!" Kara slammed her fists into the table in frustration, leaping up from her chair. "I can't just sit around waiting for a lead to pop up." Kara began pacing around the room anxiously.

J'onn stood, placing himself in front of her. "I know you're worried. I am too. But, we need to stay calm and focused. Blowing out your powers isn't going to help bring Alex back. You know that she'd want you to take care of yourself. Maybe you should go home, get some rest. I promise I will call you the second we get anything."

Kara immediately shook her head. "No. I can't. J'onn, we need to do something. This is Alex." Her eyes pleaded with him. Alex's phone buzzed on the table, though both were too engrossed in their conversation to notice.

J'onn frowned, turning away from her. "We've already reached out to all of our contacts for more information on Cadmus. Mr. Schott is combing through all the cameras near Alex's apartment to see if we can get any video of what happened. I have agents looking into every aspect of Lillian Luthor's life to see if there are any clues on where Cadmus might be located. Alex is one of the strongest, most talented agents I've ever seen. She'll be okay; we just need to trust that." Though he said this with confidence, J'onn's eyes were filled with uncertainty and guilt.

Kara's anger dissipated, her eyes softening as she read the guilt in his posture. "I'm sorry. I know you're doing everything you possibly can. We are going to find her." She said confidently. Their moment was broken by another buzz from Alex's phone. Kara glanced at it quickly, pausing when she saw the name on the screen. "Maybe what we need is a little more help. I'll be back soon. Let me know if anything comes up!" And with a gust of wind, she was gone.

* * *

Instantly upon walking into her favorite bar, Maggie dropped heavily into a stool and held her hand up to order a drink. "Whiskey." She muttered miserably to M'gann, checking her phone for new messages and feeling her stomach knot at the blank screen. Her drink was placed in front of her and she dropped her phone with a sigh, staring despondently into the glass.

"You're looking at that drink like it holds the solution to the universe." M'gann noted. "Everything okay?"

Maggie looked at her with troubled eyes, but didn't answer, instead taking a large a gulp from the drink. She winced as the liquor burned down her throat. M'gann raised her eyebrows in surprise, but thankfully took the hint and left to tend to other customers. Maggie was just about to take another sip but paused when she felt someone approach her from her left. "I'm not interested." Seriously, couldn't a girl drown in self-pity in peace?

"Had a rough day?" Maggie frowned at the familiarity of the voice, looking up in surprise. She gently placed her drink down on the counter before turning to face the superhero.

"You could say that. You look like you've had a rough day yourself. Care for a drink?" Maggie noted the red-rimmed eyes and slouched posture that was uncharacteristic of the usually cheery Supergirl.

Kara chuckled lightly, though it didn't reach her eyes. She slipped into the seat next to Maggie. "I didn't come here for that reason. I came here looking for you, actually."

"What, uh... What can I do for you, Supergirl?"

"I need your help." Kara said simply, her face searching Maggie's hopefully.

Maggie's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You came all the way here to ask for my help? Sorry, it's just... well, usually one of your super secretive agents tends to handle this sort of thing." She was thinking of one agent in particular, an agent that was clearly avoiding her. She took another sip of her Whiskey.

"Maggie, it's Alex." Maggie's head shot up, fear and worry instantly coloring her features.

"What happened? Is she okay?"

Kara looked around nervously before dropping her voice. "She's been taken. I need your help getting her back. Please, will you-" Maggie was already getting up and slipping her coat over her shoulders, dropping bills onto the counter though her drink was unfinished.

"Lead the way."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry for the late update. I promise to have sooner updates now that the holidays are over and I'm on break from school. I'm hoping to have this story finished before my next semester starts, so updates will definitely be coming in at a much quicker rate.**

 **This chapter is a bit of a filler; not much action going on, but it felt necessary. It'll pick up in the next couple of chapters, I promise. Thanks for all the positive feedback so far. Nothing wants to make me write more than reviews, so keep 'em coming. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Kara led a shaky Maggie through the halls of the DEO, keeping a careful eye on the unsteady detective. If the situation hadn't been so serious, she would've been amused by how quickly the tough, sarcastic Maggie Sawyer could be thrown off guard with a little flight. "How are you doing?" She asked kindly, with a little hint of a smile in her eyes.

"I'm good." Maggie lied, desperately trying to calm her stomach. Ever since meeting Supergirl, she had vowed to never to be put in the position where she needed to fly with the superhero. It wasn't that Maggie didn't trust Supergirl, it was more that she wasn't a fan of heights. In other words, Maggie was absolutely terrified of heights and it was a weakness she didn't particularly care for many people to know of. However, Supergirl had noted that Alex was running out of time and it would be quicker than her sedan, and besides she _had_ been drinking, and Maggie had relented. Supergirl had found Maggie's ultimate weakness; she would do anything for Alex Danvers.

The command room was empty when they entered and Supergirl pulled out a chair for Maggie. "Wait right here. I'll just go grab the others." Maggie nodded, her eyes moving from Alex's phone in the center of the table to a file left abandoned next to it. She instantly reached for it and scanned the contents. _Lillian Luthor._ She felt her stomach twist painfully at the thought of Alex being at the mercy of that psychopath.

Supergirl returned to the others within minutes. Neither Winn nor J'onn looked surprised to see her, quietly filing into the room with a couple other familiar agents that Maggie had seen working with Alex occasionally. The agents, Winn, and Supergirl took seats at the table while J'onn closed the door and took his place at the front of the room. He looked seriously at Maggie.

"Thank you for agreeing to help us, Detective Sawyer. I believe that your sources at the NCPD and alien civilians will prove to be helpful in finding Agent Danvers."

"Anything to help find Alex." Maggie said passionately. She noticed Supergirl glance at her with an unreadable expression before J'onn began speaking again.

"I've brought us all here so that everyone can collectively be briefed on the situation on hand. As you all know by now, one of our agents has been taken. We believe that Lillian Luthor, leader of Cadmus, is the one who captured Agent Danvers. Luthor also knows the true identity of Supergirl." There was a collective gasp as the agents processed this information. J'onn face remained stoic as he continued. "There were signs of a struggle at Agent Danver's apartment, suggesting that she was taken sometime between last night and this morning. This means that Luthor has had Agent Danvers for at least 18 hours. Our utmost priority is finding and recovering Agent Danvers as quickly as possible." Heads nodded around the table in determination.

Maggie looked down as a strong wave of guilt washed over her. _Why didn't I stay?_ Maggie thought bitterly, her mind flashing back to the memory of last night: the heartfelt confession of her feelings, the blissful kissing, the disappointed admission that it was late and she should probably go home.

" _Or you could… stay. I mean, if you wanted to…"_ Even as she said it, Alex's cheeks had turned red with embarrassment and fear of rejection. Maggie nearly did stay, her passion and arousal almost winning over logic.

" _You trying to get me into bed already, Danvers?"_ She had replied jokingly, enjoying the deep crimson blush that swept over Alex's face before turning serious. _"Alex, there is nothing that I would want more than to stay here tonight, but I think we both know that it isn't a good idea. Neither of us are ready for that yet, and this deserves more than just a rushed one-night stand. You deserve more than that."_ She punctuated each sentence with a sweet kiss to Alex's lips _. "So, I…"_ Another kiss _. "… am going to go home…"_ Kiss. _"… and take a very, very cold shower."_ Alex had chuckled then and Maggie felt her heart soar. She regretfully pulled back from their embrace, searching Alex's eyes for any hint of rejection and happily finding none. And, with a parting kiss (or two), Maggie had left Alex's apartment feeling happier than she could ever remember. If only she had known. If only she had stayed.

"Detective Sawyer, do you have something to share that pertains to this investigation?" Maggie was broken out of the memory abruptly by J'onn's stern voice. She looked into his knowing eyes and sighed, clearing her throat before speaking. "I was with Alex – Agent Danvers last night. I left her apartment around 12:30 so we know the kidnapping happened after that."

J'onn merely nodded, his eyes still watching her warily. "Very well, thank you Detective. That narrows down our time-frame. Mr. Schock, use those time parameters to narrow your video search. I want a visual of the kidnappers." Winn nodded fervently, leaping up to his feet to return to his station and get to work. J'onn turned his attention to the DEO agents. "For the rest of you, continue the search on any properties owned by the Luthor's that could serve as a location for Cadmus. This is a covert investigation; we do not know how Luthor received information about Supergirl's identity. There may be a mole here at the DEO, so we keep this information quiet. Understood?" All of the agents nodded seriously before leaving to their respective places.

"I have a couple of sources that are keeping an eye on Cadmus. I'll go see if they've heard anything about a kidnapping." Maggie rose, happy to be able to do something.

"Supergirl, I want you to go with Detective Sawyer. One of the kidnapper's may have seen Detective Sawyer at Alex's apartment and she could be in danger." Supergirl simply nodded and stood, shooting a cold look at Maggie before motioning for her to lead the way.

"I don't need a babysitter." Maggie said in annoyance, looking from J'onn's stony face to Supergirl's angry one. Seriously, what was her problem?

"It isn't up for negotiation." J'onn replied simply, taking the file on the table and leaving the room without another word.

Maggie sighed in frustration.

 _Great._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's another one for you guys. Keep reading and reviewing!**

 **Trigger warning: The beginning section does deal a little with torture (nothing too graphic), so I suggest you skip it if that's something you're sensitive to.**

* * *

"Wakey, wakey."

Alex yelled as a cold bucket of water was thrown on her battered body. Pain radiated from every bone and muscle as she struggled to regain consciousness. "Come on now. No rest for the wicked." He laughed coldly, pouring yet another bucket of icy water on her body. Alex's teeth chattered painfully as she rose her eyes to meet his. "There you are. I have a surprise for you, Agent Danvers." She recoiled from his gleeful gaze.

Fortunately, he turned away from her and walked towards the shelf in the corner of the room. His hands lingered over an already bloodied bat and Alex experienced flashes of memories. The _whump_ of the bat hitting the soft flesh of her stomach. The _crunch_ as multiple ribs broke painfully, one by one. The _crack_ of the bat hitting her head before she succumbed to the darkness. She fruitlessly struggled against the chains around her wrists that were now keeping her upright, hanging in the middle of the room like meat hung by a butcher. "No, I think we've had enough fun with this, haven't we?" He laughed again before moving forward, his body blocking the rest of the weapons laid on the shelf.

Alex heard the sound of something being picked up and she closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself for what might come next. _You need to be strong, Alex. Kara is coming. J'onn is coming. Maggie is coming. Just hold on._ She repeated these thoughts, picturing their kind faces until she could feel his presence directly in front of her.

"Open your eyes." She defiantly kept them shut, barely wincing at the punch that hit her already sore face. "Open. Your. Eyes." He demanded, pulling on her hair and unknowingly brushing against her head wound, causing her eyes to shoot open in pain. He released her hair and returned his attention to an object in his right hand. She looked down and her eyes widened in fear.

"Now, now. Don't worry. This won't hurt. Not physically, anyway." He held up the syringe, full of an undistinguishable blue liquid. Without hesitation, he plunged the needle into her neck, emptying the syringe. "Have a good trip." He said, chuckling at his own joke as he left Alex alone in the dark room.

For a moment, nothing happened and Alex thought that the drug hadn't had an effect on her. Her relief was short, however, as the shadows around her began to morph and change into grotesque beings, snarling and snapping at her. Alex closed her eyes and screamed.

* * *

"This is useless." Kara said, her fist making contact with the brick building in front of her, creating a large hole uncomfortably close to the alien they had been trying to get information from. It was almost like she could sense that Alex was hurting and scared; she felt sick, as if kryptonite had been injected into her stomach.

"Woah, okay, I think that's enough." Maggie smiled gratefully at the alien, who whimpered and scurried away, stumbling over his six legs. "Yeah, we're done for tonight." Maggie said seriously, grabbing Kara's arm and dragging her away from the alley.

"No, we're not." Kara planted her heels, shrugging Maggie off easily. "Figures you'd give up on her this early." Kara herself was surprised at the acidity directed at Maggie, though she didn't let it hinder the intensity of her anger.

"Hey. I care about Alex, too. You are not the only one who's worried sick. But, it's almost midnight and I can tell that we aren't going to be getting anywhere tonight, not with you scaring away all of my sources." Maggie attempted to keep her voice calm, but there was a fire burning in her eyes. "We both need to get some rest. We can start again tomorrow morning."

" _You_ can get some rest. I am going to keep looking for Alex." Kara stalked away and Maggie followed quickly.

"Okay, seriously, what is up with you? You've been acting all cold ever since the debriefing. I mean, I know we're not friends or anything, but I didn't think we were kill-her-with-heat-vision kind of enemies." Maggie crashed into Kara as she abruptly stopped in her tracts.

Kara waited for Maggie to regain her footing before she spoke. "You were with her. You left her." She said simply, venom in her words.

Maggie felt like she had been physically hit. "I – I didn't know. God, I wish I hadn't." Tears involuntarily filled her eyes, and Kara had to look away to prevent feeling sympathetic. She recognized that she was being unfair, but she needed someone to blame. Someone other than herself.

"What were you doing there anyway? I thought you and Alex weren't on good terms after you broke her heart."

Maggie winced at the reference of her rejection. She wondered how much she should disclose, but decided to stick to the truth. "We weren't, but I came over to talk to her, to tell her how important she was to me. I came to tell her how wrong I was in pushing her away."

Kara could hear the honesty in Maggie's voice and she hated how her anger was already beginning to dissipate. She needed to get out of there. "If you really cared about Alex, then maybe you would've stopped this from happening." She pushed up off the ground and into the air, suppressing the pang of guilt when she saw Maggie get knocked off her feet in the corner of her vision.

 _Alex, where are you?_

* * *

After making a few rounds about the city, ears and eyes peeled for anything suspicious, Kara despondently returned to the DEO. Her anger had worn off, only guilt and worry remaining. She was in a daze, hardly noticing what she was doing or where she was going. Her feet moved as if they were their own being, until she found herself standing in the middle of Alex's lab. Her hands shook as she reached for the small beaker mug sitting on Alex's desk; Kara had given it to her on her last birthday. " _For the nerd who can't live without coffee."_ They had laughed until tears streamed down their faces and their stomachs hurt that day. God, she missed her sister.

"I thought I'd find you here." J'onn spoke quietly from the doorway, careful not to startle Kara. "Maggie called me. She was worried. She said, and I quote, 'there is an unstable alien roaming the streets'."

Kara rolled her eyes and laughed through her tears (when had those happened?), placing the mug down gently before bringing her hands to her face. "I was so cruel to her."

"You were." J'onn agreed, stepping closer.

"I just miss Alex so much." And suddenly, Kara was sobbing into J'onn's chest and he was gently consoling her, rubbing her back like a father would his small child. "I don't know how to do this without her."

"You've been very strong. Alex would be proud." J'onn whispered comfortingly, and then, "We will find her," with more determination and confidence.

"How can you be so sure? For all we know, she could already be… be… dead." Kara whispered the last word, as if saying it aloud would make it come true.

"She isn't dead." J'onn replied with certainty, causing Kara to look at him with confusion and doubt. "I know that she isn't."

"How?"

J'onn sighed before leading Kara over to the couch. "Ever since we know she's been taken, I've been trying to reach out to her, to find her using my mental abilities. It's very difficult to do; it requires a strong bond and a lot of energy and even then, the connection is very weak, but it is possible."

Kara straightened immediately. "You found her?" She asked hopefully.

"I… found her mind, yes. I don't know where she is, but I can hear her. I know that she is alive."

"How is she?" Kara asked hesitantly, unsure if she could really handle the answer.

J'onn sighed, running a tired hand over his face. It occurred to Kara how exhausting it must be, to search for one mind in the haystack of minds, to listen as someone you care deeply about experiences a surely horrible situation. "She is scared… in pain, but she knows that we are looking for her. She is thinking about us, you mostly, and her love is helping her stay strong." Kara nodded, feeling a new wave of tears spill over the edge of her eyes. "We will find Alex, Kara. We will."


	5. Chapter 5

Alex wasn't sure how much time had passed. She passed freely in and out of consciousness, plagued by the monsters her mind created. They shifted constantly, sometimes taking on the form of her loved ones. Her mother berating her for failing as a daughter and sister. Kara hating her and threatening her with the same sword Alex used to kill her very aunt. J'onn claiming he had only let her be an agent to ruin her life, as she and her father had ruined his. Maggie rejecting her and telling her she would never find real love, would never deserve real love from anyone. Her father crying and begging her to save him, though she was always too weak to do so. It was unbearable; she almost wished for the return of the bat. Sometimes she thought she heard the comforting voice of J'onn gently fighting against the evil in her mind, but she couldn't distinguish the line between reality and fantasy. She couldn't be sure of anything anymore.

At one point, she felt as if she were floating, opening her eyes to see bright lights moving above her. Her vision was filled with only white, and she blinked desperately, forms appearing around her. Again, she thought she saw the face of her father and she so badly wanted to reach out to him, to seek his comfort, but, as her arm lifted, his face contorted into something inhuman and she shuddered away. She heard a steady beeping in the distance, before a glorious darkness took over and finally gave her peace.

* * *

Waking up in the morning had become both the best and worst part of Kara's day. She would wake up suddenly, usually startled by a nightmare, and rise slowly from the make-shift bed she had created in Alex's office. For a brief, fleeting moment, Kara would forget the circumstances that had brought her there, sleeping in Alex's office. Her eyes would slide to Alex's desk, fully expecting her sister to be sitting there, sipping her coffee and ready to offer comforting words that were sure to chase away the dark images of her nightmare. It was the most precious part of Kara's day, the seconds in which she believed that Alex was safe and healthy and _home_. And, almost instantly, without fail, the realization would set in and Kara would experience the very worst feeling in the world, a feeling that literally took her breath away.

It had been 12 days since Kara had slept in her apartment. At the beginning, the others had tried to get her to go home and sleep in her own bed, claiming that she would feel much better. She responded that Alex couldn't sleep in her own bed, probably wasn't sleeping in a bed at all, so neither would she. They stopped after that. In fact, no one really bothered to argue with Kara anymore; it seemed that she had adopted some of her sister's stubbornness and no one had the heart to attempt to tear it away from her.

After she had finished her morning routine (could it be considered a routine after only 12 days? It sure felt like a lifetime), Kara walked into the command center of the DEO, only mildly surprised to see Maggie there discussing something with J'onn. Much to Kara's shock (and appreciation), Maggie had continued to tap into every source she had available to her in an attempt to find Alex. Though the investigation had essentially halted, the agents reaching a dead end on every lead they could think of, Maggie continued to search with a fervency that Kara had started to admire. They hadn't spoken much since the day that Kara had yelled at her, but, in the past weeks, the hero had come to realize that she had been very, very wrong about the detective.

"What's going on?" Kara asked in a monotone voice, knowing better than to get her hopes up too early. She met Maggie's eyes and was immediately surprised by the amount of hope and determination she found looking back at her.

"I have a lead, a solid lead. I don't have a location, but I think it's enough information to narrow it down. I think we have a chance of actually finding her, Supergirl."

Kara looked to J'onn for confirmation, feeling her heart thud loudly when she saw his head nod. "What did you find out?"

Maggie took a deep breath, spreading the contents of her file on the table before beginning. "So, I've been working a case at the NCPD for the past week or so. It's a simple case: someone's been taking aliens and then dumping the bodies after, the pattern being that all of the bodies had been autopsied after death. I didn't even realize that it could be related to Alex until a couple days ago, when I was talking to one of my alien sources on the street. He referred to the kidnappers as "Doctors", claiming that they were doing underground experiments and using the aliens as subjects. That's when it clicked: Cadmus. It can't be a coincidence, right?" Kara looked at her doubtfully.

"Okay, it sounds like a little bit of a long shot," Maggie admitted, "but there's more. So far, five aliens have been taken, that we know of, but only the first four were found dead." She pointed to the fifth picture on the right.

"The last one survived?" Kara asked incredulously.

Maggie nodded affirmatively. "So, of course, I went to talk to the survivor yesterday. At first, she was reluctant to talk but eventually she opened up a little. Said that there were at least 10 human scientists, led by an older woman, who were performing experiments on both aliens and humans. Her cell was next to a human's, and though she never spoke to anyone, she heard the scientists refer to her as Alex."'

Kara bit her lip, unwilling to believe that they could actually be a step closer to saving Alex. "How did she manage to escape?"

"She had somehow found a way to keep the door to her cell from completely shutting. She was waiting for a good moment to make a run for it when the human… Alex made some sort of scene and created a perfect distraction. She was able to get a head start big enough to get away. Alex saved her." Maggie looked up at the two of them. "Look, I know its not much to go on, but… I know it's her. I can just feel it in my gut."

"I feel it too." Kara agreed, looking back at the picture of the surviving alien. "Can she identify where she was held?"

Maggie shook her head sadly. "No, she made too many turns to be able to retrace her steps. But, we know that she was found here," Maggie pointed to a yellow flag on a map of National City. "She says that she couldn't be running for more than half an hour before she found help, meaning that the location is likely somewhere inside here," She pointed to a large circle surrounding the flag. "Somewhere in there is Cadmus Labs."

J'onn looked at the map seriously and raised his eyes to meet Kara's. "Supergirl, go get Mr. Schock. We have a missing Agent to find." For the first time in 12 days, Kara saw a genuine smile form on J'onn's face.

* * *

"Okay, so there are twenty-two abandoned buildings within 5 miles of where she was found. Taking size into account, six of those buildings would hypothetically be large enough to be a facility for Cadmus." Winn pulled up the six locations on the screen.

J'onn sighed. "We could hit each one by one, but I'm concerned that it could tip off Cadmus before we find the right location. We have to narrow it down somehow." Silence fell over the group as they all thought carefully.

Maggie spoke up. "What about energy? I mean, if they're running huge experiments then they've got to be using some serious electricity, right?"

Winn nodded, his hands rushing across his keys. "Uhhhh… three of the buildings have used electricity in the past week."

"This is a long shot, but can you find out what the buildings are made of?" Kara asked.

"I can try. What are you thinking, Supergirl?"

"It's just that, I've been going on rounds daily looking and listening for any signs of Alex. I must've flown over that part of the city a dozen times and I never noticed anything suspicious. The only reason I wouldn't notice something is if…"

"… The buildings were lined in lead, blocking your powers." Winn finished her thought, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Pulling up the original records… no lead there… negative… oh my god." He fingers stopped moving, eyes widened in shock. "They did a renovation on this one last year, even though it hasn't been used in almost a decade. They installed lead flooring to the entire first floor." He pushed back slightly, a smile spreading over his face. "This is it; it has to be. We – we found Cadmus."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the break in updating. This one is a super long one so hopefully that makes up for it. I'm not too happy with the last section; action scenes are not my forte, so I hope it's not too terrible. Thanks to everyone that's reviewed so far. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to let me know what you're thinking! Anyways, hope you enjoy this one and I'll try to get the next chapter out soon.**

* * *

It took everything in Kara's will not to speed away the second they discovered Cadmus's location. It took agonizingly long for J'onn to get a team together and create a strong evacuation plan that ensured the safety of Alex and any other prisoners being held there. She was itching to get her sister and, after what felt like a lifetime, the planning was done and agents scattered to get ready for the mission. Palms beginning to sweat, Kara looked around and spotted Maggie in the corner of the room speaking on the phone.

Kara approached the detective slowly, catching the end of her conversation. "Yes, sir. I understand. I'll come in as soon as I can." Maggie hung up the phone, looking up in surprise at the person in front of her. "Work." She explained quickly.

Kara smiled apologetically. "I hope the time you've spent helping us isn't interfering with your work performance too much."

Maggie shrugged. "I'm not worried. The NCPD doesn't exactly have a line of detectives specializing in aliens." An awkward silence fell over the two, Kara looking down to her feet shyly.

"I wanted to speak with you before we left. I owe you an apology." Kara looked up, making eye contact with Maggie and, for the first time, noticing the dark bags that had settled themselves under her eyes. "I was wrong about you and I most definitely shouldn't have said the things I said to you. I'm so sorry, Maggie."

Maggie held up her hands, smiling slightly. "It's fine, honestly. Emotions were high, things got said. I get it."

"Still, it was unfair. I was just looking for someone to blame, when this whole time I knew that it was all my fault."

Maggie's eyebrows rose in confusion. "Your fault?"

"I…" Kara considered the right way to phrase her words. "Alex was taken because of her connection to me."

"I don't understand." Maggie replied, studying her face carefully.

Kara had been planning how this conversation would go and it had taken days for her to make a decision on how she wanted to play this. "Cadmus knew that the best way to hurt me was to take my sister." Briefly, Kara wondered if Alex would be angry at her for revealing her secret to yet another person.

It took a second for Kara's words to sink in, a look of understanding coming over Maggie's face. "Kara Danvers." She cocked her head sideways, a habit of Maggie's that Kara knew was one of Alex's favorites.

"You don't seem all that surprised." Kara noted.

"I mean, anyone who's seen you two together can figure out you guys are close. Alex doesn't exactly have a whole lot of people in her life, so it's not too hard to narrow it down. Although, I do admit, I kind of thought you were her girlfriend."

Kara wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Gross."

Maggie genuinely laughed. "Yeah. Agreed." She paused for a second. "So, why tell me? I mean, it's not that I'm not grateful, but…"

"I trust you. You've been amazing these past weeks and, well, it occurred to me that you'd be a great addition to this weird, little team we have going on. I mean, you don't have to, of course, I would understand if you didn't but I just… at any rate, you deserved to know the truth after everything you've done for us. For Alex." Maggie smiled as she watched pure Kara Danvers emerge from her Supergirl persona. "There's another reason, too. I needed you to understand how important Alex is to me. I have a bit of a… favor to ask of you." Kara's voice had taken on a somber tone and Maggie's expression followed suit.

"Anything." Maggie said with certainty.

"I know we have this plan and everything," Kara waved distractedly at the screen, "but, put simply, I need you to promise me that you'll bring Alex home. Of course, I'll do everything in my power to rescue Alex, but I don't know what we'll find in there or what kind of weapons they'll have. I just need to know that, no matter what happens to me, Alex will be safe. Promise me that you'll make sure she's safe first, before anything else."

Maggie had only met Kara once and Supergirl a handful of times, but she found herself concerned for the young girl. "Sounds like you're planning on doing something really stupid."

Kara chuckled lightly. "Not planning anything, just trying to be prepared. I need you to promise me, Maggie."

Maggie sighed and rolled her eyes. "I promise to bring Alex home safe. But Kara, Alex will kill me if I let anything happen to her little sister, so you better come home safe too. Promise?" She fixed Kara with a glare that reminded her far too much of her sister.

"Pinky promise." Kara held up her pinky and Maggie took it with her own, laughing. J'onn walked into the room and motioned for them to follow.

"Guess it's go time." Maggie said, a flash of anxiety coming over her eyes. She turned to walk out of the room, stopping when she heard Kara call her name.

"For the record, I think Alex is really lucky to have someone like you in her life. I'm really glad you guys are friends… or whatever." Kara said with a knowing look before speeding off, leaving Maggie frozen to her spot, a blush on her cheeks and the warmth of acceptance blossoming in her stomach.

* * *

For the first time in forever (Days? Months? How long had she been gone?), Alex felt herself rising from the depths of unconsciousness, her mind seemingly clear from the drug-induced haze she'd become accustomed to. She blinked blearily and waited for her surroundings to take form. Her brow furrowed in confusion when she realized she was in the same room as when she was first taken, dubbed "The Basement" by the other prisoners. Her wrists were chained yet again, her body hanging so that her feet just barely brushed the ground.

Alex was confused. She had learned from her time in captivity that The Basement acted as a torture room, the place where new prisoners were taken to be broken or where current prisoners were taken to be punished. Alex had been broken a long time ago, a fact she had come to realize with the utmost reluctance and despondency, and she hadn't done anything that would have caused need for punishment (she had already paid for her actions in helping an alien neighbor escape). So, what was she doing here?

"Alex." A voice from the corner startled Alex from her thoughts. A man stepped out of the shadows and Alex couldn't stop the gasp from escaping her lips when she recognized him. "How are you feeling?" Jeremiah asked, approaching her slowly. It hadn't been the first time Alex had hallucinated her father, but something about this felt very, very different from her other hallucinations. He stopped a few feet away from her and Alex realized he was waiting for an answer.

"Like shit." She answered honestly, causing her father to laugh.

"You haven't changed a bit." Alex found herself frowning in disagreement. She had changed. _Everything_ had changed. "It's normal for you to be in some pain. Your body has been through a lot." His eyes traveled down her body, as if realizing just how much his daughter has been through. "I'm sorry that this had to happen. I wouldn't have let it happen if it wasn't absolutely necessary. It would have been easier on you if you hadn't fought so hard, although Lillian really shouldn't have expected less from my daughter."

"You're not my father." Alex rasped, feeling a little spark of her old self seeping into her broken voice.

"I assure you Alex, I am your father." He reached up and gently brushed her cheek, unaffected when she cringed away from his touch. "See? Not a hallucination. I understand, it's all very confusing. I remember how it was like for me when I was first taken. But soon, you will understand." He turned away from her then, walking over to the shelf. He picked up a knife from the shelf and Alex's eyes widened. "I want you to know, this isn't easy for me. I never wanted to hurt you." There was something unrecognizable in his eyes and it made Alex's blood run cold.

"Why are you doing this?" Alex said, her heart rate quickening as he took steps toward her. "Dad?!"

"I told you, I'm only doing this because it's absolutely necessary. You must be completely vulnerable, at your weakest point, in order for you to successfully complete the transformation." He said this simply, as if it were common knowledge, before pressing the knife up against the bare skin of her abdomen.

"The transformation?" Alex's only answers were cold, apathetic eyes and unbearable pain.

* * *

Maggie felt as if the past 3 hours had gone by in a total blur and suddenly she was standing at the doorway to the infamous Cadmus Labs, likely less than 20 feet away from Alex Danvers. Thanks to Kara and J'onn, Maggie was a part of the main rescue team, though everyone knew that her focus was really on one prisoner. With the order from J'onn, the team entered the building, Supergirl speeding in first. Maggie felt the familiar rush of adrenaline that usually accompanied these missions, though there was an additional feeling of fear settled in her stomach that wasn't usually present.

They cleared the rooms on the first floor quickly, not finding anything out of the ordinary. Following Winn's directions, they found the stairway to the basement and began to descend with extreme caution. They stopped in front of the door at the bottom.

"It's lined in lead so I can't see inside." Kara explained in a whisper, taking a deep breath and putting her hand on the handle. "Ready?" She directed it at the team, but looked directly at Maggie, waiting for her affirmative nod before opening the door.

As expected, they were almost immediately met with guards and chaos soon erupted. Kara took care of most of the guards quickly, noting with surprise that they weren't using any kryptonite weapons. _Strange._ However, she didn't give it much thought, her mind preoccupied with saving Alex. The team continued forward, successfully taking down any guard or scientist that got in their way.

Maggie entered the next room and felt all oxygen leave her body. "Fuck." In front of her were at least 20 large cages, each with a terrified human or alien prisoner huddled in the corner.

"Oh my god." Kara had flown in, tears immediately springing to her eyes. They were momentarily distracted by an influx of guards, wildly shooting their guns. "Get everyone out of here! I've got them." She yelled at the agents, shooting one last glance at Maggie before flying away. The team jumped into action immediately, carefully freeing the prisoners while avoiding stray bullets. By the time Kara had knocked out the last guard, there were only 4 prisoners left and Maggie still hadn't found Alex.

"She's not here. There was one empty cage." Maggie said, anxiety creeping into her voice as she looked into Kara's worried eyes. "Winn are there any other rooms left on the plans? Alex is missing."

"There's just one. There's a hallway that can bring you there to the left of where you first entered." Winn said frantically, his heart beating wildly as if he were with the team himself, although he was stationed safely at the DEO.

Kara and Maggie moved quickly in the direction Winn had instructed, only coming to a halt when a figure stepped out to block them.

"We meet again, Supergirl." Cyborg Superman smiled arrogantly, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

Kara turned to Maggie. "I've got this. Go! Get Alex!" Before Maggie could argue, she flew at Cyborg Superman, pushing the both of them straight through the wall and into the next room.

As Maggie neared the door at the end of the hallway, she heard a scream that made her heart stop; she easily recognized the voice to be Alex's and someone was hurting her. Without any hesitation, Maggie barreled through the door with her gun drawn. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight in front of her.

Alex hung from a hook in the ceiling, dressed only in a sports bra and shorts. Any part of her body that wasn't covered in dirt or grime was bruised or bloodied, most likely due to the cuts the man standing in front of her was inflicting. Her face was contorted in pain, eyes closed tightly and teeth gritted.

Maggie felt a rage run through her at an intensity she had never felt before. "Get the fuck away from her." She growled menacingly, raising her gun. The man briefly looked at her and Maggie sensed something familiar about his face, but she couldn't quite place it. He smiled evilly and raised the knife towards Alex's body. Maggie didn't hesitate.

 _Bang! Bang!_

Two shots rang out and a body thumped to the floor.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Not sure how I feel about this one. Thanks for the reviews/follows/favorites. You guys are awesome.**

* * *

"Alex!" Maggie had hardly waited until the man's body had hit the floor before she ran to Alex. Maggie felt her breath catch in her throat as she got closer; She looked dead, her head hanging down and her body limp. "Alex. Hey." She whispered softly, gently placing her hands on Alex's cheeks. The reaction was instantaneous; Alex immediately pulled back in fear, as far as her chains would allow, hissing in pain as the movement jarred her injuries. "Woah, hey it's just me. It's Maggie. You're okay." Maggie soothed, searching for Alex's eyes and finding nothing but fear and pain looking back.

"It's not real. She's not real." Alex whispered to herself, shutting her eyes tightly and shaking her head slightly. "Don't do this to yourself. It's _not_ real." Maggie felt her heart break at the sight.

"Alex, please look at me. I'm real. I'm here to bring you home." Maggie sighed when Alex continued to ignore her. "Okay, we've got to get you out of here." She looked up at the chains holding Alex and, with a lot effort, managed to get Alex wrists free. Alex immediately began to fall, unable to support her body in her weak state, and Maggie grabbed her quickly. Alex whimpered at the sudden movements, a few tears escaping her eyes. "I know, I know. I'm sorry." Maggie whispered, adjusting her so that she felt less pain (she hoped). She quickly decided that Alex wouldn't be able to walk and, with surprising ease, she lifted the tall girl into her arms. Maggie felt sick as she noted the bones sticking out of her body and she wondered if Alex had gotten any nutrition in the past two weeks. "Alright, Danvers. Let's get you out of this hell-hole."

"Alex!" Kara's shout carried from across the other room as she laid eyes on her sister. She zoomed forward, stopping suddenly in the doorway of the room. Her eyes were on the body on the ground, still lying face up. "Jeremiah?"

"Shit." Maggie whispered, as her brain finally understood the familiarity of the man's face. She looked behind her and immediately recognized the man from the pictures in Alex's apartment, pictures of her and her father. She looked back at Kara, still frozen in the doorway. "Kara…"

"What did you do?!" Kara responded accusingly, unfreezing from her spot and moving quickly towards the body on the ground. She only made it halfway, however, before she fell to the ground with a pained moan.

"Kara!" Maggie yelled in alarm, coming towards her.

"Green… Kryptonite…" Kara said between gritted teeth.

Maggie stopped and looked around the room. "I don't see any kryptonite." She huffed in frustration, before going to help the fallen girl. "Come one, let's just get you out of here."

Kara yelled as Maggie got closer. ""Worse…" She breathed, biting back another scream of pain.

"What? But I don't have any green…" Maggie trailed off, looking at the unconscious woman in her arms, her eyes drawn to a stitched wound running down her chest. "Oh my god. It's Alex. Alex has kryptonite in her."

* * *

Kara was adamant about riding in the ambulance with Alex, even though she couldn't get within 15 feet of the girl without nearly losing consciousness. J'onn had had to physically drag her away, which wasn't all that difficult considering her weakened state, before suggesting that maybe it would be best that Maggie stay with Alex. In truth, Maggie had already been seated in the ambulance, one of Alex's hands tightly clasped with her own. She had no intention of relinquishing contact with Alex until she was forced to.

There was a flurry of activity when the ambulance reached the DEO. Doctors immediately took over, rushing Alex through the halls. Maggie noticed Kara in the distance, looking lost, and she felt a pang of guilt; how difficult it must be to get Alex back but be unable to be with her. Maggie moved with them, holding Alex's hand strongly, until she was stopped by a nurse. With reluctance, she let go and watched as they wheeled Alex behind closed doors. Maggie sat on the ground with a heavy sigh, mildly aware of how terrible she must look. Her clothing was coated with grime and some of Alex's blood had seeped into her shirt. She knew she should get cleaned up, but she couldn't bear to put any more distance between herself and Alex just yet.

Maggie was startled when she felt someone stop next to her, noting with surprise that it was Kara. The superhero sat wordlessly next to her, bringing her knees up and hugging them against her chest. Maggie wasn't sure how long they sat in silence before she heard muffled sniffling coming from next to her. She glanced sideways to where Kara sat, her face in her hands and her shoulders shaking. Maggie extended a shaking hand and placed it comfortingly on the young girl's back, disappointed when she felt the girl flinch away from her touch. "Are you okay?" Maggie asked sympathetically.

"My sister was kidnapped and tortured and my adoptive father is dead. No, I'm not okay." Kara's voice was muffled by her hands, but she still managed to project a cold and accusatory tone.

"Right, dumb question." Maggie sighed, threading her hand through her hair. "I guess there isn't really anything I can say to make you not hate me, but… Kara, I swear I didn't know it was him. I just saw someone that was going to hurt Alex and I reacted. I didn't connect the dots until after."

Kara flinched at her words, looking up to meet Maggie's eyes. "Jeremiah would never hurt Alex."

Maggie's eyebrows rose. "He was standing next to her with a knife. I told him to get away from her and he didn't listen to me. He was going to stab her, Kara." Kara was shaking her head, refusing to believe Jeremiah could have done something like that. "Kara, I looked into his eyes. He wasn't Jeremiah anymore."

Kara studied Maggie'a face closely, tears filling her eyes once more. "He was going to hurt her?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"I… I think he already did." A flash of anger came over her face at the thought, but her features softened when she saw the tears running down Kara's cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Kara." This time when she placed her arm around the other girl, Kara shifted and laid her head down on Maggie's shoulder. Kara whispered something and Maggie had to strain her ears to catch it.

"Thank you for saving my sister."

* * *

When the doctor finally exited the room, she was met with a sweet scene. Kara and Maggie were still on the floor, the younger of the two soundly asleep with her head resting on the detective's shoulder. Kara's hand was linked with J'onn's, who was seated on her other side. He was the first to notice the presence of the doctor, gently shaking Kara awake before he stood.

"How is she?" Maggie was the first to speak, her heart pounding anxiously.

"Agent Danvers has been through a lot, but… she is going to be okay." There was a collective sigh of relief emitted by all three of them. The doctor continued seriously. "This is not to say that she doesn't have a lot of recovery ahead of her. She has a concussion, multiple fractured and bruised ribs, three broken fingers, and is very malnourished. This is not to mention the countless number of cuts and bruises all over her body, some of which did need some stitches. There were also some marks on her neck and arms that suggests that she may have been drugged, and unfortunately since we don't know for sure what she was given, we have to be very cautious about the medication we give her for pain. She's unconscious for now, but I suspect she'll be in a lot of pain when she wakes up." The doctor paused, sensing that they needed time to process the information.

"What about the kryptonite?" Kara asked, her voice small and unsteady.

The doctor looked down. "That's actually what I'm most worried about. It appears that Alex underwent surgery during her time with Cadmus. We did an X-ray and it looks like they implanted some sort of device directly onto her heart. Honestly, it's amazing that her heart is still beating and functioning normally."

"What does the device do, exactly?" J'onn spoke up.

"I wouldn't be able to tell you exactly how it works without studying it directly, but it seems to work as a filtration device. The only thing is, instead of taking something out of her blood, it adds something in: green kryptonite."

"Can we take it out of her?" Maggie asked, giving Kara's hand a hopeful squeeze.

The doctor shook her head sadly. "Right now? Definitely not. And even when Agent Danvers gets stronger, it's still heart surgery, which is extremely risky." She looked sympathetically at Kara. "I wouldn't rule it out just yet. In the meantime, Supergirl, you should stay a minimum of 20 feet away from Agent Danvers at all times. She has enough kryptonite in her body to kill you if you are exposed for too long." She glanced at Maggie and J'onn. "I expect that she'll regain consciousness in the next couple of hours. You two are welcome to sit with her as long as you ensure she stays calm and relaxed. She needs to rest." She looked at the three of them pointedly before excusing herself and disappearing behind the doors.

The three of them stood in silence for a moment, processing everything they had been told. Kara was the first to speak. "You guys should go. Alex shouldn't be alone right now." She turned and walked down the hallway, her shoulders hunched and feet dragging.

"I think it would be best if you go, Detective." J'onn glanced at Kara's retreating form.

Maggie looked nervously at the door. "I'm not sure if she would really want to see me right now." Maggie saw a flash of Jeremiah's dead stare.

J'onn looked at her sympathetically. "Alex cares about you. She'll understand. The locker room is just down the hallway if you want to clean up before you go in." With that, he turned and disappeared after Kara.

Maggie took a deep breath and looked at the door one last time before leaving in search for the locker room.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I never meant to leave you guys hanging like that. Life got a little crazy for a minute there, but I'm back and hopefully I have enough steam to get me through the end of this story. I'm a little lacking in inspiration all of a sudden, so I'm hoping this will come to me as I write it. Please continue reviewing and letting me know what you think. Thanks to all of you!

* * *

Alex's consciousness returned to her slowly, stimuli hitting her senses one by one. Though she hadn't opened her eyes yet, she recognized that she was in some sort of medical room, due to the faint, steady beeping and strong antiseptic smell. She felt heavy, as if she were surfacing from a pool of water with weights tied to every limb. She waited for all of her other senses to settle before attempting to open her eyes. As expected, the brightness was overwhelming, and she had to blink her eyes multiple times before she could make out her surroundings. After what felt like hours, the room took shape and she recognized herself to be in the medical bay at the DEO. Some of the panic that had been present at her awakening began to ebb away at the familiar scene.

She felt a soft pressure on her left arm, so she slowly turned her head in that direction. Beside her was a peacefully sleeping Maggie, her head resting on the bed and her hand placed directly atop Alex's left one. Alex smiled, hating to disrupt the beautiful brunette but knowing that she had to.

Alex cleared her throat painfully. "Maggie?" She tried to speak, wincing when only a hoarse whisper came out. She flexed her hand and watched as Maggie stirred. Maggie woke slowly, confusion marring her features, until she looked up and saw Alex looking back at her.

"Danvers! You're awake!" She straightened up happily and her other hand came up to gently rest on Alex's shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay." Alex responded in a whisper.

"Here." Maggie seemed to read her mind and immediately poured her a cup of water. She brought the straw to Alex's lips and patiently waited as she drank.

"Thank you." Alex's voice still broke, but seemed to regain a bit of its previous strength. She looked around the room curiously. "Kara?" Her face frowned in concern.

"She's okay." Maggie comforted instantly, sensing Alex's distress. "Supergirl's assistance was needed at a robbery." Alex nodded in understanding, before freezing.

"You know?"

Maggie looked into Alex's wide eyes, chuckling lightly. "I know. Your sister's secret is safe with me."

The slight panic in Alex's eyes morphed into one of adoration. "Thank you." She said again, and Maggie merely squeezed her hand in response. Alex cleared her throat again, though it did nothing to change the scratchiness of her voice, and she broke eye contact with Maggie. "What happened?"

Maggie frowned, her features darkening at the switch in topic. "What do you remember?"

"Uh…" Alex closed her eyes. "I remember being attacked in my apartment and waking up at Cadmus. They, um, they drugged me, so it gets a little fuzzy after that. I remember a lot of things, but it's hard for me to tell what was real and what wasn't. How long was I there?"

"Twelve days." Maggie's eyes hardened. "I'm sorry, Alex, I-"

"Hey, no. Don't do that." It was Alex's turn to squeeze Maggie's hand comfortingly. "You saved me. I remember that. At least, I'm pretty sure that was real. You got me out of there. You brought me home."

Maggie blushed and ran a hand through her hair. "Well, it wasn't _just_ me. There was a team, you know."

Alex waved her off. "Don't be modest. You're my knight in shining armor, Sawyer." The last statement was slurred more than said, as a wave of exhaustion rode over her.

Maggie chuckled lightly before saying, "Sleep. There'll be plenty of time to talk about heroics later."

"But I just woke up." Alex grumbled. "Stupid pain meds."

Maggie snorted. "Sleep. That's an order, Agent Danvers."

"You're not my boss." Alex challenged.

"It's an order from J'onn."

"J'onn isn't here."

"Alex."

"Okay, fine." Alex squinted at Maggie in betrayal for a moment before her features softened. "Stay?" She tightened her hold on Maggie's hand as if she was afraid she would have to keep her by physical force.

Maggie settled herself comfortably back in the chair. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

* * *

When Alex woke next, her head felt much clearer. She was disappointed to see that the chair next to her bed was empty, but her disappointment only lasted seconds. Maggie was standing in the corner of the room, engaged in a conversation on her cell phone.

"I know… Yeah, I will… Listen, she just woke up so I'll talk to you later, okay?" She hung up the phone and walked back towards Alex. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"You know, cell phones are prohibited in hospitals. It messes with the machines." Alex joked,

"This isn't a hospital." Maggie countered, foregoing the chair to sit on the corner of Alex's bed.

"Touché."

Maggie took Alex's hand lightly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got run over by a bus instead of a train… So, better." Alex answered honestly. "That seemed urgent."

"It was Kara checking in." Maggie smiled fondly. "She a bit of a worrywart, that sister of yours."

"Is she coming to visit?" Alex seemed to brighten visibly at the mention of her sister. Maggie sighed, preparing herself for what was sure to be a difficult conversation.

"She can't." Maggie forced herself to continue even as Alex's expression dropped. "Alex, how much do you remember about the wound on your chest?"

Alex frowned in confusion, looking down to her chest and seeing a large, stitched incision. "I don't… What is it?" She pulled her hand out of Maggie's to run her fingers over the wound; it looked to be at least a week old. "I was a part of their experiments. What did they do to me?" She whispered it to herself, but Maggie chose to answer it anyway.

"They implanted a device onto your heart. The science of it goes totally over my head, but basically it's made of green kryptonite. If Kara comes too close to you then…"

"I'll kill her." Alex finished, instantly pushing her hands against the bed and attempting to sit up. "I need to go to my lab."

"Woah, woah. Take it easy, Alex." Maggie immediately jumped forward and gently pushed Alex back onto the bed. "What you need right now is to rest, okay?"

"But…" Alex fought weakly against her hold.

"No, listen to me. Kara is okay. No one is in any immediate danger. Please…" Maggie placed her hands lightly on either side of Alex's face, her thumbs gently brushing against the soft skin. She could easily read the pain and fear in Alex's eyes. "It's okay, alright? We're going to figure this out."

"No one knows Kara's physiology like I do. I've studied this for practically my whole life." Alex pointed out, though she found herself relaxing under Maggie's soft touch.

Maggie smiled widely, her dimples pronounced, and Alex felt herself melt a little more. "Yes, we are all aware of what a super science nerd you are. For now, we're just going to have to settle with calling in the second smartest alien scientist."

Alex frowned in confusion. As if on cue, the door to the medical room opened and Eliza Danvers walked in with the confidence of an army general. "Oh, Alexandra." She strode over to Alex's side quickly.

"Mom?" Alex's eyes widened in surprise and a bit of panic. She glanced fearfully at Maggie, who had jumped back and was standing in the center of the room, looking widely out of place. "You're here?"

"Of course I'm here, honey. I got on a plane as soon as Kara notified me that you were found. I would've come earlier, but I'm afraid I would have just gotten in the way of the investigation." Instantly she reached for Alex's medical file, tutting in displeasure as she read. "You must be in a considerable amount of pain, honey. Shall I call the doctor to come administer more pain medications?"

"What – no, mom." Alex looked at Maggie helplessly.

"Dr. Danvers, I'm Maggie Sawyer." Maggie spoke up, hoping to alleviate some of the spotlight on Alex. Eliza looked at her as if she had just realized that the detective had been in the room.

"I'm well aware of who you are, Detective Sawyer." Maggie gulped nervously as Eliza fixed her with an angry glare to match her cold tone. "I appreciate all the time you've spent caring for Alex, but I think it would be best if you left now."

"Dr. Danvers –"

"Mom!"

"I'm sorry, Alex, I know you care for her, but I have no intention of being cordial with the woman who killed my husband."

Maggie closed her eyes, wishing for nothing more than Kara's ability to speed away. The feeling only multiplied when she looked at Alex's horror-filled face.

"Maggie? What is she talking about?" Alex's voice was small, like a child's.

Maggie felt her eyes fill with tears and she knew with certainty that she needed to get out of the room as soon as humanly possible. "Your mom is right, Alex. I think it's best if I go. I'm so sorry." With that, she ran out of the room and away from the one person she had sworn she would never hurt again.


End file.
